Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-06
JEFFRRS0N DAVIS.
The Spirit Of Hatred Entertained Toward
HIM by The People Of the North.
IFNISON. TEX, NoV. 8, 1857.

Him by The People or the HCEtn.
BENSON, TEX, Nov. 8, 1887.
To the Editor of the Gazette.
enclose copy Ola letter received from
Colonel F. T. Mitchell, Chaplain Of the
Texas Lower House, on the subject Of
the generally unaccountable spirit Of
hatred entertained for Jefferson Davis by
the people of the north. Add as the eX
President Of the COnfederecy is being dis
Cussed now from all points, the enclosed
may prove interesting to your readers.
Yours, Z. i.
AUSTIN, TEX Feb. 10, 1887.
Ny DEAR FRIEND: Your favor OF the
l4.h inst came duly to hand, and as your
twelve years residence among US has not
sufflced 10 cl-ar ewSy the fog Of prsj u
dice you imbibed with the east wind Of
Boston, It may rot be worth while for
zoe to undertake the d ficult task.
There is one hopeful sign, however,
you ere willing TO hear "the other side;"
and as reason must IN the end prevail
over prejudice, the good work cannot BE-
begun too soon.
Il cannot be that a nation Of brave men
snd women, or any considerable portion
Of them viii persisfently and TO the bitter
Guu pIESEIhC NEAL S4E4lSA pLN LIZ =
to say hatred, unW8rrantaoly, unJusuy
toward any one of their signalized fellow
men.
1t is but natural that in the moment Of
passion prejudice should dominate
reason, aud all the better instincts Of our
nature be driven back by the wild Whirl
Of tempestuous emotions.
This condition of shiDgs moreover finds
- IN
sense of outrage, partly real, partly
imaginar- ,Th ca those w o have INDUCED
It have realized. For it Is folly to sup
pose that an Intelligent people will hsrbor
spirit OF implacStle hatred
toward shy msn unless u
be under the inspiration of firm corpsc-
ton that he has merited and deserves
their execration. 1t is furthermore bat
Just 70 say that the terrible events which
occurred in this country q quarter OF s
century ego, and with which the name
Snd fortunes of Mr.. Davis were SO con-
spicuously connected, could but rouse
al the bitter passions OF the northern
heart, and when the storm was over sno
others were dead or out Of view, 2nd ne
in letters, and by this very fact the select
ed subject on whose devoted he&d the
walls o! accumulated wrath should oe
broken, 1t is but just to say that under
such conditions no earthly power could
prevent his being selected as the Escape
goat" TO besr the sins OF his people.
The reverse was equally true OF him
who held IN hand the destinles OF the
Union, and only his untimely and tragic
end diverted the anathemes Of the South
rOns from him.
A common sense of wrong, snd out
rage and injury, placated the heart OF the
south, and bitterness gave place TO ten
derness, and thence came restored broth
erhOod.
Let 10 man say It WAS, or would have
been, uniust for the south 20 visit the
sins, or supposed sins, Of Lis p ople OF
Mr.. Linco n, unless he will admit inst II
is equally unjust to visit the sins, or sup
posed sins OF mis- people upon Mr.. Davis
Neither placed himself where he was.
but each was in high position, at the cal
and mandate of his section, and escf
was bound and sworn TO do his utmos
or forever branded traitor and
knave.
The north would ecorn to ask mercy at
our hands for MIR. Lincoln. =
Neither do we plead for mercy for Mr.
Davis. What then? Only this no more
no less, or else we stand as wide apart a
heaven and hell.
They did the duty that each saw,
Both wrought at God'e supreme oe-lgns,
Aud under loves eternal law,
Each life with equal beauty shines -
The only difference being that Whici
may belong to the personal or privat
character of each. 1t is not my purpose .
touch this phase of the question now
No man of the south who was In any
wise connected with the great struggle
R6s less guilty than Mr.. Davis.
LIE or Jackson, or the humblest solole
Rh(D fred rife or thrust sabre, wa